Leigh



(NoModeL) E. S. EVELEIGH.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT T0 RAILWAY FROGS. No. 256,135 Patented Apr. 11,1882.

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(/4) day UNrTnn STATES PATENT erro ELFORD S. EVELEIGH, OF HAMILTON, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT TO RAILWAY- FROGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,135, dated April 11, 1882.

Application filed June 20,1se1. N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELFORD SPARKS Eva LEIGH, of the city of Hamilton, in the county of Wentworth, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented a certain new and useful Safety Attachment to Railway- Frogs; and I do herebydeclare that the followin g is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same.

It is a well-known fact that very many serious accidents occur on railways where the frogs are located by railway-men and others having their feet accidentally caught in them, and not being able to extricate themselves be fore a passing train or engine runs over them and either maims them for life or kills them outright.

The object of the invention relates to a very simple, convenient safety attachment to railway-frogs, by which means railway-men and others will be protected against injury, as it will be next to impossible for such accidents to occur where it is used.

The invention consists in a metallic box (or other suitable material) fitted with proper springs on its bottom, a lid or cover resting on said springs and provided with means to secure the device to the rails, a number of hollow rubber balls being placed in the box to prevent it entirely filling with water and ice in winter. The said box and cover, constructed as shown, are placed between frog-rails and secured thereto by screw-threaded rods passing through said box, and also through the rails, their ends being secured by nuts.

By reference to the drawings forming part of this specification it will be seen that Figure l represents the box as it is detached from the rails. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section through the box. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of box with cover or lid removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cover. Fig. 5 is an end view of frog-rail and safety attachment. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of frog-rails and safety attachment in position. Fig. 7 is a view of a rubber spring; Fig. 8, a spiral spring; Fig. 9, a flat spring; Fig. 10, hollow rubber ball similar to those placed inside of box.

A is the box, which may be constructed of metal or other suitable material, and will be of various sizes to suit the requirements of the rails. Its bottom may be made flat and rest upon the flanges of the rails, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and also provided with blocks B, cast on the bottom, to rest on the sleepers, and thus afford a solid foundation for the device, one part resting on the flanges of the rails and the other upon the sleepers.

If necessary, I may construct the bottom of the box with a deepening along the center in lieu of the blocks B, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the bottom of said deepening-being made to rest upon the sleepers.

D D D D are springs resting upon the bottom of the device, upon which the cover E rests. The said springs are shown as spiral;

but the peculiar make of spring is not essential. Rubber ones, as shown at Fig. 7, may be used, or flat ones, as shown as Fig. 9.

F F F F are hollow rubber balls placed in the bottom of the box, A, for the purpose of preventing the box at certain seasons of the year from filling with water and clogging with ice. The balls will contain air and occupy a good deal of the space in the box, perhaps more than shown in the drawings, and thus not allow too much water and ice to accumulate inside during the winter season.

The cover may be provided with grooves 11 on the top, which rise slightly from each end, conforming to the shape of the said cover, to

allow more play for the wheels of railway-car riages passing over it. The sides of said cover are also provided with slots I, Figs. 1 and 4,

to admit bolts or rods J J, which are made to pass through said holes, and also through the rails, with nuts K K screwed on their outer ends to secure the device between the rails, as shown at Figs. 5 and 6. By this means it will be firmly secured in place. It will be observed that as cars pass over it the slots I enable the cover to yield, the springs D inside pushing the said cover upward again to its original position. However, I do'not confine myself entirely to this means of securing the box in its position. I may mention another of many methods of securing the box. A loop, L, is affixed to each end of the lid or cover E, and the rods J J pass through each loop respectively, which allows the cover to be depressed, as when the bars or rods go through the slots I. Other means maybe used for securing the box to the rails; but these are perhaps preferable.

The device may be used with great advantage at all railway-frogs where there is great danger of persons feet being caught, and the invention is calculated to prevent accidents, as it is much better to provide means to pre-' vent accidents than endeavor to cure them after their occurrence.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a railway-frog, of a box, A, secured to the rails, a movablecover, E, arranged over said box, and springs inclosed within the box and acting to normally retain the movable cover in an elevated position, substantially as described. 1

2. The combination, with a railway-frog, ofa box, A, a flanged movable cover, E, arranged upon the same, springs inclosed within the box, and hollow elastic balls F, interposed between the cover and the box, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the box A, a movable flanged cover, E, arranged thereon, and provided with slots I, springs inclosed Within the box, and transverse bolts J for securing the parts in position, substantially as described.

Dated Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, this 6th day of June, 1881.

E. S. EVELEIGH.

In presence of WM. BRUCE, GEo. D. MURRAY. 

